JD: 00-151                             DoW:  MON/TUE                  UTCDate:  30MAY2000        
SUMMARY:                                  Major Sprite-Producing MCC inNebraska; Many +CGs; In LMA?
TLE PREDICTION:                     [ 0.42]  0.6 chance of TLEs; 0.7 chanceof viewing  RESULTS:                                        Possible sprites in LMA;clouds limit viewing of very active storm       LESSONS:                                      Possibly some sprites in LMA;viewed at 900+ km PERSONNEL:                                Lyons, Nelson, Fossum, Nordem,Gerken, Trabucco
STEPS  STATUS:                           On Standby for operations. LMAoperational
YRFS OPERATION LOGS:        Full Operations. Classic upscale development ofsmall storms into an MCC which rode with a 500 mb short wave trough intohigh CAPE areas (>3500). Storms formed in WY and NE and moved steadilyeastward, grazing the LMA. Most development in CO were high based, withlittle local lighting and much less microburst activity than yesterday.Once NE system began, it had very high percent +CGs (though not very hightotal flash rates), which maintained itself at 50% or higher until past06Z, as storm moved into Iowa and began to weaken. MCC had classic trailingstratiform secondary precip max, with +CGs, but many of the +CGs seemed tobe associated with the convective core. Severe tstm watches in NE. Severalwarnings issued. Local clouds keeping moving in and out making continuousmonitoring difficult until total clearing around 0600Z. Some dancersassociated with multiple +CGs attach points in trailing stratiform.
Much smoke in area. Many layers of smoke visible at sunset. Sky had redcast during night. Major forest fire plume coming out of Arizona visible onGOES. Reason to suspect the MCC was smoked contaminated. No moon.
Gerken got some sprites in telescope. Stanford ELF/VLF working. Photodiodereconfigured but not yet field tested. New trigger for data acquisitionsystem designed but not yet built.
STEPS OPERATIONS:                Standby for full operations                                KEY RESULTS :                   Storm very similar to 20 May 98. Smoke could well havebeen a factor. Saw TLEs to 900+ km rang into Iowa. Some very large elves.                
Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign:            140                                EQUIPMENT:FMA             Red Xybion (A)-Patrol:                   2 tapes Sony TRV900 3CCD:                      0 tapes (shot time lapse of cloudsduring day)JVC KY-19:                                     shoot daytime TL/STEPS Cam(to ESE); Pulnix CCD:                                     shoot various TL scenes         Photodiode:                                      lens mated to originalunit, tested with strobeWinckler PMT:                                availableGPS:                                                 OK         WWV Source:                                  OKVLF Inspire:                                     OK             ELF N-S:                                          not available                         ELF E-W:                                         not available          NLDN Live:                                     OK       NLDN Paper:                                   5 maps    NLDN Archive:                               2 savesMRC Data Acquisition:                    working on new triggerFMA Data Acquisition:                    not available          Thunder Mic:                                    availableLANL Tracker:                                 OK                        Red  Xybion (B)-Zoom;                   3 tapes Red Xybion (C)-Tele:                       0 tapesBlue Xybion(D)-zoom:                      2 tapesMountain Cam:                                 nominalSTEPS Cam:                                     nominalShure Mic:                                        OKNEXRAD Archive:                          OK-revised scripsGOES Archive:                                OK-revised scripsRUC2 Archive:                                OK                                 STANFORD/STAR LAB:Telescope                                          OK-sprites imagedLLTV                                                OKELF/VLF                                          OK
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY:        not present                                               MIT ELF:                                         nominalFUELLEKRUG ELF:                    says 80% operationalISRAELI ELF:                                 nominal    

Walter A. Lyons, Ph.D., CCM             walyons@frii.comFMA Research, Inc.                      www.FMA-Research.comYucca Ridge Field Station               970-568-7664 (voice)46050 Weld County Road 13               970-482-8627 (fax)Fort COllins, CO 80524                  970-690-0422 (PCS)